Valentine's Day
by VampireLover93
Summary: Short fluff fic about Sirius's gift to Andromeda on Valentine's Day. AU. Rated to be safe, mostly for a few comments in passing throughout the fic.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

**MeaAndromeda. Do NOT point out the facter Mea and Sirius are cousins. I know that! But I still like the pairing; after all, people ship Sirius/Bellatrix, and Bella is Mea's sister. Why shouldn't he have the cousin he likes? **

**Bits and pieces of this fic are references either to other fics of mine, or of PhantomElphaba's. **

Valentine's Day

Sirius woke up first, smiling as he remembered the date. He kissed the top of Mea's head, smiling when she let out a contented sigh, knowing that for at least that moment, she was thinking of him. She let out a small protest when he untangled himself from her grasp, curling into a ball. She looked so helpless, so young. Sirius picked up the blanket from its place on the floor at the foot of the bed (where it inevitably got kicked every night) and laid it over her, tucking it tight to her, as if it were a sheild. She let out another contented sigh, burrowing deeper under the blanket until, from where he stood at the foot of the bed, all he could see was the top of her hed and one of her hands, curled around the top of the blanket to keep it out of her face and as small as a child's. He smiled and dressed very quietly, perfectly aware of how light a sleeper Mea was. He smiled; she claimed that ever since she became a mother, she'd been a light sleeper and had fast reflexes, and seeing as how Molly was the same way, everyone believed her. She said it came as part of the "maternal instincts" package.

He left a note on his pillow and then paused in the doorway for a moment to watch her sleep before heading downstairs.

Mea knew something wasn't right even before she woke up. Her unconcious mind registered a change in her natural surroundings: silence.

_Silence. _

It almost seemed impossible. Mea was used to the normal hustle and bustle of the house that sprung from almost half of the Order being in her house at any given time. There was nearly always the sound of muted conversation, footsteps upstairs and down, food being prepared in the kitchen, children, laughter, and even the sound of an arguement.

The silence was just plain eerie.

Still, _something_ told her this was how it should be, at least today. Suddenly, she remembered the date: February 14.

Valentine's Day.

Of course it was quiet. Everyone was at home with their sweetheart, and Bella had consented to leave the house so Mea and Sirius could have it to themselves. So then why was it that something was still nagging at her?

Mea realized she was cold, despite the blanket wrapped tightly around her. She wondered for a moment why she had a blanket around her- she hadn't needed one for months, not since Sirius came back...Then she realized it. There was an absence of a second person's body heat near her, protective arms around her...the absence of a slow, steady breathing in time with her and a heartbeat beneath her ear.

Her heart caught in her throat; this was too much like the days after Ted's death, when there was no one to comfort her. She sat upright at lightning speed, shivering as cold air hit her bare torso when the blanket fell from her grasp. She ignored the sudden chill, though, and glanced frantically around, her ears perked, listening and looking for anything that would alert her to where Sirius had run off to.

As if in answer to her thoughts, she noticed a small, white note on Sirius's pillow with her name written in his handwriting. She opened it and read it.

_Mea, _

_Happy Valenitine's Day. I've decided to send you on a little scavenger hunt for your present. Enjoy your morning cup of coffee. _

_All my love,_

_Rascal_

Mea smiled, setting the not on the bedside table. She started to untangle she sheet from the blanket so she could wrap it around herself as she searched for something to wear, but stopped herself upon seeing one of Sirius's T-shirts and her red satin bathrobe laid out neatly on the bed- her chosen morning attire, of course, and Sirius knew it.

She shrugged into the shirt and robe, loosely tying the belt just enough so that her bare thighs were covered. Her hand automatically migrated to the pocket of the robe, where her fingers curled around another note.

_Didn't think I'd leave you with nothing to wear, did you?_

She ignored the fact her bare feet were cold as she walked downstairs, yawning.

She smelled fresh coffee before she even reached the bottom of the stairs, and was pleasantly suprised by the sight of her favorite coffee cup, the sugar, and her French vanilla coffee creamer already laid out very neatly by the coffee maker. Another note was tucked under her coffee cup. She laid it aside, intending to wait and read it after she'd drank her coffee to read it, enjoying the anticipation. Finally, after she'd rinsed out the coffee pot and her cup, dried them and put them away, she leaned against the table to read the note.

_Here's your first clue: "I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy. I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need."_

Mea paused for a second. Of course, she knew the lyrics- she could probably sing the whole song from heart. But still, what the crap was it supposed to mean?

She pushed herself up onto the table and laid back, closing her eyes as she tried to think.

_Mea sighed, laying her head against Sirius's chest as they swayed to the music. "I love you more with every breath, truly, madly, deeply do," she sang, more like whispered, softly. Sirius smiled, reaching over to turn up the music a tiny bit. _

Mea sat bolt upright. Now she remembered; it had been the song that had been playing the first time she and Sirius had ever been together... She glanced over at the radio, and sure enough, there was another note.

_I see you've found the second clue. Concentration is key._

"Concentration is key...?" she muttered to herself. His clues weren't making any sense. Still, it tugged at something in the back of her mind... concentration... concentrate...

Concentrate!

_What _do_ you want me to concentrate on, then?_

A smile curled up the corners of Mea's mouth as she remembered that...So, what exactly was she supposed to find? It had been on the couch...she's been reading a book... _The Notebook_ to be exact. So, what, was she supposed to reread the book?

She stepped into the livingroom, and as if knowing she'd have trouble finding the next clue, her book had been place on the coffee table, the corner of another note sticking out. Mea sighed, positive she'd put the book away, and walked over, picking the book up and opening it to glance at the page it was tucked into before closing the book again with a slight smile; the note was tucked into the page she'd began reading later on that day, after Sirius had fallen asleep. She closed the book again and read the note as she walked over to her bookshelf, placing the book in its precise place on the second shelf. All of her books were arranged in an order no one but her understood, and she got very ticked off when her books were out of place.

The next note was actually an envolope. She opened it. Instead of a note, a photo fell into her hand. She barely glanced at it; it was photo from Sirius's graduation. He was over a head taller than her, and she stood with him, Remus, James, and Peter, looking as if they'd always been friends. She stood wedged between Sirius and James, and all of them were laughing. She smiled as she remembered that day.

_"Come on, let's get a photo!" Ted called. Mea groaned as Sirius sat in her lap, stretching out as if she were a chair. _

_"Rascal!" she scolded, although a hint of playfulness colored her tone as she shoved him off of her, and he accidently fell into James. Ted stifled a laugh at James's ruffled look as he wrestled Sirius off of him. "They just graduated and yet they're still acting like children," Mea whispered. _

_"Okay, you two, enough. Let's get this picture," Ted said. Mea punctuated his statement with _the look_ and the four boys immidiantly filed into formation. Mea wedged herself by Sirius, laughing as he feigned breathlessness from being squished between her and Remus. _

_"Don't let him fool you," James laughed. "He's breathless from being so close to an older woman, even if she is his cousin; he's that desperate." Sirius aimed a kick around Mea and at James, but Mea caught his leg, threatening with a glance to pull his feet out from under him. _

_"Let's just get this over with," she growled, and Sirius automatically sobered up._

_"Cheese," Ted commanded. No one listened. Sirius yelled out, "Butterbeer!", Mea said, "Whipped cream!", James said, "Quidditch!", Remus said, "Worship the cheese!!!" and Peter merely smiled. The photo was taken, go figure, right as Mea, squished between two teenaged boys a lot taller than she, lost her footing and nearly fell on Sirius, resulting in a lot of laughs for the picture._

_Afterwards, there were many jokes about how Mea nearly crushed Sirius, seeing as he was thin as a stick still. _

_"She wouldn't have crushed me, see?" Sirius said, and he scooped a protesting Mea into his arms with ease, showing off his strength. Mea, however, knew it was less Sirius's strength than the fact she was so tiny. She kicked, yelling at him to put her down this instant, but he only laughed and handed her to Ted, where she instantly calmed. Ted grinned at her, pecked her on the cheek, and set her down gently, holding her elbow for a moment longer than neccessary to be sure she wouldn't fall. _

_"Where's Dora?" Mea suddenly asked; she'd been all caught up in being a teenager for a few minutes that she'd nearly completely forgotten her daughter. Panic rose in her throat, but a voice called out, "Right here!" Mea turned to see Lily Evans making her way through the crowd, away from her parents, holding a smiling, bubbly, four-year-old in her arms. Dora saw Remus and instantly squealed in delight, totally ignoring her mother's outstretched arms and reaching for the man who would- although none of them would've guessed it at the time- be her future husband. _

Mea smiled, then resumed seriousness as she marched over towards the abandoned picture frame on the mantle that had originally held the picture; how dare he misplace things like this? She was surprised then a note fell from the picture frame when she opened it to replace the picture.

_I know you too well; I figured you'd walk immidiantly to the picture frame as soon as you realized the photo was missing. This is the final clue; where is it you spend the most time?_

Mea half-turned, almost about to walk back into the kitchen, then stopped herself. First, that was too obvious. Second, she hadn't been spending nearly as much time as usual in there since Sirius had returned; Molly took over cooking breakfast and dinner. She rarely spent time in the living room; that was more a haven for anyone who wished to be alone, as all the excitement was in the dining room/kitchen. She usually retreated there to read, or occasionally to watch the sun rise in the hours before Sirius awoke, always slipping silently into the bedroom before he realized she was gone. The only place left, really, was the bedroom, since she didn't spend anytime in any of the few other rooms in the house, most of which were bedrooms added to accomadate the many members of the Order who tended to spend the night. And considering Sirius kept her occupied in the bedroom most of the time... Mea couldn't stop the blush that crept up her cheeks at that thought, but she rushed up the stairs so fast that the loose tie in her robe's belt came undone and her bare thighs were exposed to the cold air that tended to creep through the house no matter what the heater was on; it made her shiver.

The door was open a crack; flickering light told her the room was lit by candles. When she walked in, the entire room smelled like vanilla because of the candles assorted throughout the room. The curtains on her window were closed- a rare event, considering the tree right outside her window blocked any kind of view of the backyard- and so the candles' illumination seemed brighter. The bed was made perfectly, so well she could've bounced a quarter off of it. And there, laying perfectly in the center of the bed, was a large bouquet of red and white roses. She picked them up, plucking the card from its place beside them.

_I'll love you until the last one dies. _

Mea felt her heart sink. She read the note over and over, glancing at the roses each time she did. The roses wouldn't last anymore than two weeks at most; he'd love her for only two more weeks? She barely registered the faint _click_ that told her the door was being shut; it was just reflex that forced her to turn on her heel.

Sirius watched her pick up the bouquet, excitement coloring everything she did; the eager way she examined the roses before opening the card. She froze; Sirius waited for several moments. When she didn't move, he slowly shut the door. She turned on her heel. Sirius observed her for a split second that seemed to stretch on into eternity; her hair hadn't been brushed, but Sirius prefered it that way because her natural curls showed a little better. The T-shirt came down to mid-thigh, but it showed enough of her white skin to send shivers through him. The robe looked ready to fall from her shoulders since the belt wasn't tied, and since it hadn't been adjusted on her shoulders since she'd put it on.

Still, it took Sirius a moment to realize there were tears in her eyes.

"_'Until the last one dies,'_" she quoted, a hint of bitterness in her tone. "These won't last two weeks."

Sirius resisted the overwhelming urge to wrap his arms around her; she'd probably refuse them anyways. Instead, he merely said, in a whisper so quiet that at first he wondered if she'd heard him, "Mea, look in the middle."

She gave him a curious look and hesitated. Just when Sirius was about to repeat himself, she put down the card and examined the middle flower, pulling it out of the bouquet for closer inspection. She gasped when she finally noticed what she hadn't before; the rose was made of silk, white silk, with tips that looked as if they'd been dipped in blood.

"Until the last one dies," he repeated. Mea looked up at him, tears of happiness springing in her eyes as she rushed forward, and he caught her in his arms. They stood there for several moments, several moments that seemed like several eternities, but when they pulled away, it was almost too soon. Sirius tilted Mea's chin up and kissed her.

"This was...beautiful," she finally said, unable to think of another way to describe it, her chin still in his gentle grasp. "I'm really sorry I couldn't buy you anything."

Sirius smiled back at her. "Don't worry about it. I have everything I could ever want, right here." He bent to kiss her again, one hand slowly sliding the robe from her shoulders.


End file.
